Month: April 2014

Hello Hello!
Can you tell I’ve been busy this week? Well, for starters…Anthony’s birthday was this week and we had a blast! Lots of food was involved and driving as well. He deserved some spoiling honestly.
Anyways, there is a new series on the blog starting today! It’s going to my cooking series that I’ve been dying to do and I finally had the chance to begin: The Awkward Chef. Now, the title has a meaning…kind of? I have always preferred baking, but I decided to take up cooking to kind of bump up my independence skills and it’ll help when Anthony and I get married. Only problem is…I’m so awkward with cooking and ingredients, so it just made sense to call this series The Awkward Chef.
With that said, because it is a new project; please due expect changes to made here and there to better enhance the series. I hope you all enjoy it and let me know what you think!If you read my post on Choi’s Korean Kitchen, you’d know very well how big of a fan of their Bibim-myun I am! I love it so much that I finally gained up the courage to make it myself. I couldn’t find the exact same recipe, but I found one regardless and gave it a whirl. It actually turned out to be quite easy, it’s just a matter of taste.The recipe I worked off from called for larger amount of ingredients, but I slimmed it down to do a quick test! What ingredients did I use?
– One Can of College Inn Beef Broth
– One Cucumber
– One Bag of Spinach (You really only need like six leaves, but the large bag was a steal…)
– Soumen (そうめん) Noodles
– White Vinegar
I tried to use the minimal amount of ingredients so I could focus on the broth and noodles. I have been craving green veggies lately, so cucumber and spinach seemed best fit.The first thing I did was fill a medium sized pot with water and sprinkled in some salt for the soumen noodles. Typically, the package has the directions for cooking on the back so I followed those which meant leaving them in for about 2 to 3 minutes then rinsing with cold water. I then brought out a small pot for the broth. I only used one can for testing, so you really don’t need a big pot. I let the broth warm up on medium heat then added about 2 tablespoons of vinegar. I kind of eyed it since the vinegar is really to your taste, but if you feel you’ve added too much you can always add some water to the broth to even it out.
Once everything is in a pan to cook, I went ahead and prepped my veggies. I thinly sliced my cucumber to the point where they are transparent. This is kind of difficult to get a full even slice, so I would suggest using a mandolin slicer. Thankfully, culinary classes in high school taught me something. With the spinach, I just rinses a few leaves and let them sit to dry. I like the crunchiness of the stems, so no cutting was necessary.One thing I suggest is after rinsing your noodles, go ahead and gently squeeze the access water out and then let it sit over top of bowl to drain some more. I feel like it allows the flavor of the broth to peak through and the access water won’t dilute it any further.
So once your noodles are done and your broth is hot, go ahead and prep your bowl! I put a little bit of broth in the bowl, layered on the noodles, then added more broth. One thing I was careful about was not to overfill the bowl because I wanted the noodles to peak through like a teaser. After that, I carefully placed the veggies on top and made sure to soak them in the broth as well! And now we have…TA-DA!!! You get a pretty scrumptious Naeng Myun! Now, I know that typically naeng myun is eaten cold, but it was so rainy and windy today that I wanted something a bit more warm! It hit the spot too. It came out a little tangier than I thought, but I eyed the vinegar so I probably added a wee bit too much. The noodles were perfect and the cucumbers actually got a little pickled thanks to the vinegar and broth, which made them even more delicious. Overall, I think this was a great way to begin The Awkward Chef series. I will say that this recipe goes about two servings, so this is perfect and won’t last long!

That is it! OH MY GOSH THE PICTURES CAME OUT BETTER THAN I THOUGHT! Yay. I can’t wait for my next adventure into cooking. I have just a wee bit more motivation than before, but still a wee bit hesitant. With practice comes progress and that’s all I can ask for at this point!

If you enjoyed this post and have any tips or want to know anything more about today’s recipe, feel free to comment below! If you have any suggestions or recommendations for future posts, please hit the contact button above. I love to hear what you all think. With that said, I hope you all have a fantastic weekend! I’ve got another Sunday off, so I wonder what shenanigans I’m going to get into with the hubby. Anyways, take care, be safe, and always remember the words of Andrew Zimmern – “If It Tastes Good…Eat It!” 😛
Thanks for Reading~! ❤
With Love,
Taylor Rae

Good Morning!
I don’t think I’ve ever blogged this early…and it makes me feel so awkward. I feel that it’s been a while since my last SimplyMe post and there’s a reason for that: My life has literally been the same. Nothing too big has happened, but I thought I’d share how our Easter Sunday went! I had a little fun playing with my Canon Rebel SL1 so this was a pretty much the ultimate test day for me. So, let’s begin:Well, I’ve come to the conclusion that not all families go all out for Easter. I mean, I typically work on Easter Sunday but this year I ended up having it off so I was trying to make plans with mine and Anthony’s family. We decided to go to church first thing in the morning and it ended up being a pretty good word. We were supposed to leave a little early, but we ended up talking until we were 30 minutes behind schedule. Whoops. Afterwards, we drove straight to my house and oh lord, the smell of food was fantastic.We came through the door and my sister and her boyfriend were already there! I love it when the fam-band comes together…though, my brother couldn’t make it. (I was a bit sad about that, truthfully.) Well, within the first minute I come in, my sister yells for me to come and check out mine and Anthony’s Easter Basket. It was too cute! My parents made mini baskets with cute paper cups, paper grass, and jelly beans resembling eggs. They also stuffed a Cheesecake Factory & AMC Movies gift cards. My mom said she wanted us to have a date night for Easter! Awww, thank you Mom & Dad. 🙂Within a half hour, all the food was prepped and ready to eat! So yummy. We had mac ‘n’ cheese, mashed potatoes, ham, cauliflower casserole, biscuits, collards, deviled eggs, and even chocolate cake! It was a dangerous day to be on a diet…and trust me, I ate it ALL. My stomach was all sorts of excited and the aftermath, of course, was the ultimate food coma! Anthony and I had to take a legit nap after that meal.Overall, the time spent with my family was amazing. Lots of laughs and love which is always so special to me. After we woke up from our nap, we said our goodbye to my family and drove back to Anthony’s house! Unfortunately, his brother and sister in law were out so we couldn’t say hi to them. BUT his nieces were home along with his mom, so we hung out with them for the rest of the night! It was so cute to watch them run around, but they had so much energy and we were still recovering from our food coma.That pretty much sums up our Easter Sunday! We really wanted to relax and chill out and we ended up doing just that. I was so happy to see everyone and eat all that food. It was just awesome and ideal. It also made me wonder what Anthony and I would be doing for Easter when we finally move in and get married. I hope we will have the same family gatherings.That is it for today’s post! I hope you all enjoyed it and let me know if you enjoyed the pictures!! We had a blast taking them and we loved capturing all of the moments. Also…We hope you all enjoyed your Easter Sunday and we want to hear what you did! Let us know in the comments below and if you have any suggestions or requests for future posts, hit the contact button above!

Picture CreditsAll pictures used in today’s post belong to Taylor Rae of SimplyTaylorRae.Com and Anthony of Amperio Designs. Do NOT Use without Permission.

I’m going to go ahead and end it here. I’m gonna prepare pictures for my next post!! Have a great rest of your week, take care, be safe, and always remember to share a smile with someone! 🙂
Thanks for Reading~! ❤
With Love,
Taylor Rae

Hello ladies!
I’m currently in my comfy bed after two days with a terrible back pain. Don’t worry, it’s just that TOM (if you don’t know this…you’re probably a dude). But, I really wanted to share one of the simplest ways to buffer your lips and remove all the dead skin. And since it’s now Spring, it’s time to prep your lips for all the pink gloss!As you all know, I hate spending on unnecessary products when I can just use every day products for the same result! I’ve found a few ways to remove dead skin from my lips all while also conditioning them as well. I’ll go ahead and show you two ways I make this happen and they are all products you can find in your house!

My favorite way and probably the easiest would be using a toothbrush. It sounds silly, right? But your toothbrush is actually rough enough to remove the dead skin without causing any damage. So, how do I do it? Well, all you have to do is just graze your finger in some unrefined coconut oil which can be bought at most general and grocery stores. Rub the oil on your lips as you would with a lip butter or balm. Once your lips are thinly covered, go ahead with your toothbrush and brush your lips in a small, circular motion. It feels weird and rough the first time, but you get used to it after a few tries. After about a minute or so, your lips should feel smooth and soft and ready for some gloss!My second and last trick is just a simple mix of two products that I am SURE are to be found in your cabinets! All you need is a teaspoon of olive oil and half a teaspoon of raw sugar. Mix it up and rub it on! This is an incredibly natural and pure scrub, so even if you end up digesting it, there shouldn’t be an issue. You can also switch out the olive oil for melted coconut oil for extra conditioning or honey for an antiseptic if you’re lips do have some cuts or abrasions. After application, leave the scrub on for a couple minutes while rubbing your lips together or (with clean hands) buffer by moving your finger in small, circular motions as above. You’re lips are going to feel so amazing and clean once you rinse the sugar off.

Well, there you have it! Both tricks I have used and I promise, I did not have any allergic reactions though do be sure that your products are as far from processed as possible for the best results. I do you hope you enjoyed this post and found it helpful! I will definitely try to get a post done tomorrow, but like I said above…my back is in a lot of pain thanks to TOM, so I don’t want to make any promises. BUT I WILL TRY because I love you guys so so much. 🙂

If you enjoyed this post and have any recipes for lip scrubs or any suggestions for products, go ahead and comment below! If you have any ideas or suggestions for future posts, click the contact button above. With all of that said, I am going to take some medicine and get loads of rest! Have a fantastic weekend and HOLY CRAP, EASTER IS SUNDAY! I will be taking pictures for a SimplyMe post. Anyways, always remember that you cannot forget about your own happiness! Make some time for you! 😉
Thanks for Reading~! ❤
With Love,
Taylor Rae

Hello everyone!
In case you couldn’t tell from Twitter, I have been in a very geeky mood lately. I have been catching up on so much game news and tech news and all sorts of other crap. I am so excited though. I told you all a while back that I was super stoked for the new Sailor Moon anime that will be released in July and I am hoping that some of my expectations will be met…but the question is what am I expect?Let’s start with everything that we know THUS FAR about the Sailor Moon Crystal anime:
– We have the production staff members.
– This is not to be an addition to the original series, but rather it’s own.
– It will take place in the modern era, so possible changes to outdated technology may be made.
– The anime will follow closely to the manga, unlike the original series.
– Momoiro Clover Z will be providing the opening theme.
This does leave room for our imaginations to run wild, right? With all of this news, I kind of have my own list of expectations as do pretty much all of the Sailor Moon fans out there.First off, are you loving the logo as much as I am!? Jeez. Anyways, my first expectation would be Mamoru and Usagi’s romance. In the manga, Mamoru wasn’t that big of a…butt hole. His and Usagi’s relationship was actually quite refreshing. In the anime, however, their arguments were incredibly annoying and took a lot away from the plot in the beginning. I hope they will include a lot of the scenes that showed how intimate their relationship really was including the wedding at the end and more flashbacks of their past lives. BUT, I will say this: Bring Back Mamoru’s Pea Green Jacket.

My 2nd expectation; The First & Original Brooch. It doesn’t need a lot of say but it was not present in the original series. It should be though and hopefully it will be.

I believe they should include more in-depth looks at the Sailor Scouts past lives as princesses of their respective planets. Even Pluto…because since the original series ended, Pluto is no longer a planet.

A better look at Setsuna’s and Chibi Usa’s relationship. The manga showed that they had a deep relationship while Usagi reigned the future Crystal Tokyo. I would love to see more of that in the reboot. I’m a sucker for caring feels.

T’would be nice if the opening theme is the same rendition of “Moonlight Densetsu” that was on the Sailor Moon 20th Anniversary Tribute album.I would prefer that they keep the animation as close to the original series as possible, but from what the image above looks like…that’s not happening.

I am expecting that Toonami gets rights to simulcast the English Dub of Sailor Moon Crystal as they did with Space Dandy. They need to announce that soon though…and I have a feeling if they do, it will be done through Funimation. (Psst, SHIN CHAN SEASON 4 PLEASE.)

Well, that’s it for my expectations. Not much, but very important to me and the plot…in my opinion. I did just get word that there will be a Press Show on Nico Nico Douga the 27th in regards to the Sailor Moon Crystal Anime and the Sailor Myu Musical. So, hopefully an official release date and more information and a trailer will be released!

ALSO, I will be attending this year’s Pokemon World Championships in Washington D.C. in August! I’m thinking about auditioning as a commentator BUT I may just attend as a spectator…or play. I don’t know yet!? But I will definitely be there!

Anyways, that is it for today’s post! I hope you all enjoyed it and maybe got you thinking about what you’re expecting from Sailor Moon Crystal. If you have any, go ahead and leave a comment below on what it is! And if you want to request or suggest topics to write on, go ahead and click on the Contact button above.

Now, it’s time to get some rest and I shall post either tomorrow or Sunday! I hope you all enjoy your weekend and remember to be safe and IN THE NAME OF THE MOON…whoops, sorry. 😉
Thanks for Reading~! ❤
With Love,
Taylor Rae

Hello everyone!
I do apologize for a week without a post…a lot has been happening and I am thinking about talking about in another post. For now, I will just say that a certain event occurred that kind of threw me off from blogging, but after a talk with Anthony, I realized that I can’t have anything hinder me from my passion. Anyways, recently I have been thinking about doing a complete wardrobe change over the next year that better suites me and my personality and my love for Asian fashion. Therefore, I thought it would be great to show you all just exactly where I get my inspiration from.Yes, I have been wanting to plan this for so long and I think I have found all of the courage and inspiration I need to make it happen! Now, this will take a while depending on when we start wedding planning, but as it pulls together I will surely document it for you all! With that said, where do I get my inspiration?This is a fashion that I have longed to try for so long. This is Mori Girl or 森ガール. It’s a Japanese Fashion Subculture focusing on comfort, layers, and neutral colors. It also gathers its inspiration from nature which is so appealing to me! I always love to layer clothing and the use of colors, you can barely go wrong with mixing and matching. I feel that this is the best inspiration for my personality since I tend to wear comfortable and calm clothing.This is Otome Kei or オトメけい. Back in high school, I was actually dressing in Lolita fashion so imagine petticoats and full skirts galore! A part of me actually misses a lot of components that went into a Lolita coordinate. Unfortunately, I really can’t wear big skirts and such at work, so Otome Kei is really the best way for me to add Lolita components and still be able to wearing pants and shorts! I really want to get back to looking a tad more feminine and I think this would be a perfect fit for my growing wardrobe.I must admit, when I first started dwelling into Asian fashion…Korean fashion wasn’t too appealing to me. I guess I wanted something more “out there” and so on, hence why I dove right into Lolita fashion. Well, now that I’m a little older and I really don’t want to wear anything too overwhelming for me, I think Korean fashion adds a light pop that brightens an outfit without it overwhelming me which is perfect for work and a chill out day. I also find that Korean Fashion provides a lot of sneaker coordinates which is awesome because I love my sneakers. Just saying.

Well, that’s my wardrobe inspiration! I hope you all enjoyed and found this helpful in some sort of way. I have a lot I want to share with you all in this changing of the clothes and what not, so I hope you all will look forward to the future posts. Anyways, I am going to go ahead and get some rest before work! Let me know what you think in the comments below and if you want to suggest future posts or review, go ahead and click the comment button above.

I hope you all enjoy the rest of your week! Please take care, stay safe, and always remember to take care of your body since you only have one! 🙂
Thanks for Reading~! ❤
With Love,
Taylor Rae